Glimmer & Glow

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 11 - Celestia's Judgment

The sound of many things twinkling above could be heard as Starlight and cozy opened their eyes.
"Huh?" wondered the periwinkle Unicorn as her questioned appeared to lightly echo about. "Where am I?"

"Not Tartarus," replied Cozy Glow. "Too peachy and calm."

"Princess?" questioned Twilight. "Are we where I think we are?"

Celestia nodded.
"Indeed," she replied calmly. "However not for the same purpose as you and Cadence."

Starlight looked forward to see the three princesses about ten yards away from where she and Cozy now stood.
"I won't let you send her back!" she called out. "She's my responsibility and I intend to ensure her foal hood is a good one not filled with the same pain as mine!"

Cozy Glow folded her wings and stood sheepishly beside Starlight. Her green eyes starting to well up with tears.
"Please," she whimpered. "I'd rather go back to Tartarus then be turned back into a doll."

"A doll?" baffled Twilight.

"Yes, Twilight," stated Celestia. "cozy Glow is the first of a kind. She was originally nothing more than a doll that existed during the time of your parents' youth that became sentient."

"A living doll?" pondered Cadence. "How is that possible?"

Celestia gestured towards Starlight and nodded.

"I...," the Unicorn struggled to say. "I created Cozy Glow."

"How?" baffled Twilight. "When? Why?"

Celestia moved a wing over towards her most faithful student.
"Allow Starlight to explain," she said calmly before gesturing for the Unicorn to continue.

"Emotions...," she replied while lowering her head. "I had no pony to talk to or care for me after Sunburst left. I was filled with so much anger, sadness, and hatred that I couldn't manage it. So... so..."

The periwinkle Unicorn began to cry.

Cadence and Twilight watched with confusion as Cozy Glow stepped forward.
"She transferred all her dark emotions into me," she finished. "Back in sire's Hollow and again in the caves near Our Town."

"But how...," questioned Twilight. "Everything about you is, for lack of better words, real. I couldn't detect any sense of magic that was out of the ordinary for a Pegasus and I even recall you needing to see Nurse Redheart for an injury you took while helping me with school work."

"Poor Starlight didn't know she was bringing me to life," continued Cozy. "She was just so unhappy and wanted to get back at you and your friends that all she did was send her nasty feelings into me in order to control her magic enough to make things fair."

"Fair?" questioned Twilight. "She nearly destroyed all of Equestria! Like fifty times!"

"Twilight!" scolded Celestia. "Now is not the time."

Starlight was an emotional mess as Cozy leaned against her.
"Please don't punish Starlight," she pleaded while showing her forest-green eyes that were welling with tears of their own. "She just wanted to make things right."

Cadence felt compassion for the pair.
"I...," she started to say. "I believe you."

"Look closely, Twilight," Celestia instructed. "Do you notice anything you may have not noticed before?"

The star student looked towards the pair of crying ponies. Both had no sign of malice in them. Both also appeared defeated and ready to accept what was coming. However there was something else.
"Cozy's eyes...," she thought aloud. "They're a different color."

Celestia nodded.
"That's because your student did what I did for you," she said.

"What's that?" Twilight asked curiously.

Celestia smiled.
"Where I taught you the magic of friendship," she said cheerfully. "Starlight learned the power of emotions."

"The power of emotions?" baffled Twilight.

"It would seem the teacher is now the student again," stated Celestia. "Though time is needed to ensure that Starlight is truly ready for the responsibilities that are soon to be hers."

"Responsibilities?" asked Cadence. "Are you going to make her an Alicorn, too?"

"Perhaps one day," she replied. "However Starlight must first help educate Cozy Glow in how to properly manage her emotions. It won't be until Cozy can positively act on her feelings that this trial will come to an end."

"Trial?" asked Twilight.

Celestia nodded and looked towards Starlight and cozy.
"Starlight Glimmer!" she called out. "Cozy Glow!"

The pair rose to their hooves and awaited judgment.

"It is by my decree that you two travel the land to further learn how to positively harnass the power of emotion!" she declared. "You will report to me your findings while consulting with Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence in order to ensure friendship and love are kept a firm part of your growth and studies."

Starlight bowed before Celestia.
"I promise to fulfill this task," she assured. "I will return a better guidance counselor and Cozy Glow will return to The School Of Friendship as a filly filled with hopes and dreams instead of vengeance and nightmares."

Cozy snuggled against Starlight.
"That's right!" she proclaimed. "It will be a wonderful day when I come back as a real student of your school, head mare Twilight!"

Celestia spread her wings.
"Then let us begin," she announced happily before using her magic to teleport every pony from her special place in the cosmos back to the outskirts of Ponyville.

Comments

[the book keeper]

Thanks for the update what a great chapter I hope taht Starlight will become a princess or an element of harmony in the end can't wait for the next chapter

[OmniFox]

Perhaps Cozy Glow will discover another emotion: Love.

[wayward_pony]

Oh, my... keeping in with the series themes of growth, redemption, and acceptance. This is awesome.

A tiny bit of telling the audience how the characters a feeling here, but only with one character. Since it was already suggested, seems just to be done to cement the direction they're all headed in.

Some might've chosen to end it here, but I'm glad you didn't. Here's hoping for more chapters showing growth and adventure.